Mary Ward Day and the Centenary of the Women’s Right to vote

Jan 27, 2018

Students in Loreto Seconday School, Bray were in for a shock this week when they arrived for school on Wednesday 24 January. They found that the school had travelled back in time to 1918 to the day legislation was passed giving women the vote!

Students were greeted by teachers wearing appropriate costumes and were taught lessons from the 1918 syllabus including Deportment and Latin. They also learned about the careers open to women at the start of the twentieth century, watched newsreels from 1918 and visited an exhibit on one hundred years of women in history in the Concert Hall of the school.

Suffragettes (members of the Peace and Justice group in the school) patrolled the corridors encouraging students to support votes for women and radio broadcasts kept students up to date on the passing of the act in parliament with much jubilation when the vote passed.

The school was honoured to welcome Mrs Mary O’Rourke to the school, a past pupil Mrs O’Rourke shared her insights into political life and the importance of everyone using their voice through voting and becoming involved in the democratic process.

The students thoroughly enjoyed her engaging address and she also met with the Peace and Justice group where they took the opportunity to tell her about the wonderful work being done in Loreto, Rumbek, South Sudan where Sr. Orla Treacy, also an ex student is Principal and the links between the two schools.